U18 League

Mineirão
Spectators: 160 (Terracing: 120, Seating: 37, VIP seats: 3) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Wágner do Valle started the match with the kick off. Vicente Chaves came free with the goalkeeper in the 3rd minute of the match, and shot straight on target. The shot was a little too simple and Edvaldo Vieira could save by the left post. 6 minutes into the match, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's goal looked a bit too open when Thiago Cruz came free, but Vinícius Macedo reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's Vinícius Macedo played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Samuca do Nascimento in the 7th minute of play. 10 minutes into the match, Sipo EC's Benjamim Trancoso broke free and took a long shot that unfortunately flew wide. A fine initiative that could have resulted in a goal. Vinícius Macedo stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Thiago Cruz's shot from short distance in the 11th minute. An unexpectedly hard shot by Thiago Cruz in the 15th minute of play forced Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's goalkeeper Vinícius Macedo to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. When Hermínio Rosado fell near the penalty area in the 16th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Sipo EC's protests and gave Hermínio Rosado a yellow card for diving instead. A collision led to Sipo EC getting a freekick after 17 minutes play. Hermínio Rosado hit a great ball. Vinícius Macedo showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Wágner do Valle in the 20th minute of the match. Eusébio Magalhães received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 22nd minute. Edvaldo Vieira tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The audience thought a goal was coming when Vicente Chaves got free with Edvaldo Vieira in the 26th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Wágner do Valle in the 31st managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Vinícius Macedo saved Cruzeiro Esporte Clube from getting behind. Edvaldo Vieira made a fantastic save in the 33rd minute, when Vicente Chaves sent off a good shot on target. After having played for 36 minutes, Thiago Cruz managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Sipo EC's supporters crossed their fingers, but Thiago Cruz was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 41st match minute, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Adelino Simão to maneuver through the defense. In the 47th minute, Marco Furtado hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube made a substitution. Tarcisio Goiano replaced Marco Furtado. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's Ian Abreu was substituted for Vicente Chaves. A collision led to Cruzeiro Esporte Clube getting a freekick after 48 minutes play. Marco Furtado hit a great ball. The fans had the chance to grab some refreshments as the whistle went for half-time. The score stood at 0-0 after a close first half.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Renatinho Linhares to make the kick off. Sipo EC's Edvaldo Vieira played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Renatinho Linhares in the 53rd minute of play. After a defensive mix-up in Sipo EC's zone, Renatinho Linhares stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Edvaldo Vieira came out of the goal and Renatinho Linhares tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Edvaldo Vieira made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Renatinho Linhares in the 56th minute of play. In the 59th minute, Eusébio Magalhães made a precise shot to the right of Edvaldo Vieira. Sipo EC's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-0. Edvaldo Vieira made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Renatinho Linhares in the 63rd minute of play. Renatinho Linhares scored 2-0 in the 64th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Edvaldo Vieira, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. Thanks to some nice moves Thiago Cruz could shoot a difficult shot in the 73rd minute, which Vinícius Macedo however easily saved by the left post. A collision led to Cruzeiro Esporte Clube getting a freekick after 75 minutes play. Fernandão de Amaral hit a great ball. Thiago Cruz struck a weak shot in the 75th minute. Vinícius Macedo didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Sipo EC. Edvaldo Vieira showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Renatinho Linhares in the 79th minute of the match. Thanks to some nice moves Thiago Cruz could shoot a difficult shot in the 89th minute, which Vinícius Macedo however easily saved by the left post. In the 94th minute, Alfredinho Maia hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 97 minutes into the game, Thiago Cruz cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 2-1. Vinícius Macedo was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Cruzeiro Esporte Clube were really happy, having secured the victory after a very even contest. They thanked the players of Sipo EC for a fine match.